2 Girls' Trek Through the Bottom of the World

Panama in rainy season, Antarctica in winter. Our timing is simply impeccable...
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You guys are going where?
To Patagonia!

How?
By plane.
When?

I'm not sure. How about...tomorrow?

What will you do there?
I dunno. Hike I guess. And camp.

Do you have a tent?
No. We'll find one.

What will you wear?
I suppose we'll rent some stuff. Like a coat. Maybe some boots.

You do know it's almost winter there, right?
Oh, huh...that's interesting...

Back in Santiago, with little more than a vague notion of what "Patagonia" even is, Amanda and I booked plane tickets to Chile's final region, to the bottom of South America, to El Fin del Mundo!

Leaving the warm-weathered capital behind, we first took an overnight bus to Chile's Lake District, stopping for a brief 2 days in the small town of Puerto Varas - a South American version of Durango, Colorado. As we biked around Lake Llanquihue, we noticed that it was in fact quite cold and we patted ourselves on the back for finding wool hats at a second-hand clothing store. From Puerto Varas we then traveled further south to Puerto Montt - a town where it only took 30 minutes for both Amanda and I to enter a mild case of depression...oh hey seasonal affective disorder, it's been a while and I didn't miss you. But, with a plane booked in advance (the first time we have planned anything with more than 2 hours notice) we had no choice but to quickly leave the city of gloom.

Our plane landed in Punta Arenas, regarded as the World's Southernmost City, which lies on the Magellan Straight. Hello bottom of the world. And from there we then bused north to the Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO preserved park measuring 242, 242 hectares lying within the Cordillera del Paine mountain range. (Something besides the Andes? Who knew?) The landscape was formed 12 million years ago when magma peeped through a crack in Magellan's basin. Over time, sedimentary rock was pushed upwards in three giant spires dramatically reaching to the sky.

We hiked what has come to be known as the "W," a 4-5 day hike filled with brilliantly teal lakes, rolling meadows, and dramatic snow-covered peaks. We saw glaciers and ice bergs and even witnessed an avalanche. (Yes, it was phenomenal, and no, I don't think I ever need be any closer to another one. We were very far away, but oh my gosh the noise coupled with the instant stomach drop of momentary fear!)

It was 4 gorgeous days of breathing fresh, crisp air. The weather gods smiled upon us as each day progressively got better; the sun shining brightly on the last 2 days despite the cold temperatures. And the leaves were in the middle of turning brilliant reds and yellows. The park inspired such serenity that even my obnoxious heel spurs from rented boots couldn't deter from its brilliance. Pictures do it no justice and every moment I thought I couldn't possibly see something more beautiful we turned the corner to yet another postcard. Words just simply can't convey the majestic feeling of the mountains and the pure natural beauty that encompasses one when walking through the hills. Words seem to be failing and fortunately so are my photos...but here's a try at least. Click here for more photos!